Doctor Who: Timey-wimey shenanigans and the return of the Master (Dr Who retrospective S3 in 2007: video).
Returning to the Doctor Who universe, our Damn Fine Stam Fine weighs in on the 2007 season. The Doctor (David Tennant) and medical student Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) embarked on a fantastic sequence of adventures in series three. Naturally, the Daleks return, but this year, another of the Doctor’s oldest enemies also makes a comeback. There is also Blink. Ah, 2007 – a year when the iPhone first graced our lives, the final Harry Potter book hit the shelves, and the legendary David Tennant continued to don his signature trench coat as the Tenth Doctor in the third series of Doctor Who’s revival. With the “Vote Saxon” arc driving the narrative, it was the series that gave us Martha Jones, reintroduced Captain Jack Harkness, and, of course, revived the Master.
Buckle up your TARDIS seatbelts as we take a trip down memory lane, reminiscing over the otherworldly charm that made Doctor Who in 2007 unforgettable. Here are just a few of the flipping highlights:
The One Where Shakespeare Gets Sassy: “The Shakespeare Code” saw the Doctor and Martha meet the playwright himself. With Carrionite witches as the villains and a dash of Shakespearean sass, the episode was a delightful romp through Elizabethan England. Who could forget the Doctor’s enthusiastic “Expelliarmus!”, or Shakespeare’s inspired flirtation with Martha? It’s a perfect example of Doctor Who’s witty, irreverent charm.
Don’t Blink, or You’ll Miss the Fun: Steven Moffat’s “Blink” introduced the terrifying Weeping Angels and offered a unique, time-bending narrative. The Doctor and Martha took a backseat, as Sally Sparrow unraveled the mystery of the stone-cold killers. The episode was a masterclass in suspense, proving Doctor Who could dabble in horror while retaining its sense of humour.
A Judoon Platoon upon the Moon: The series opener, “Smith and Jones,” saw the Doctor go undercover at the Royal Hope Hospital in London. Cue the Judoon, a brutal outer-space police force, who whisked the entire hospital to the moon. It was a thrilling, fast-paced adventure that showcased the Doctor’s cleverness and Martha’s resourcefulness. Plus, the Doctor’s nonchalant reaction to a moon-stranded hospital was priceless.
The Evolution of the Daleks: No Doctor Who series would be complete without the Daleks making an appearance. In the two-parter “Daleks in Manhattan” and “Evolution of the Daleks,” our favourite pepper pots attempted to create a new stage of Dalek evolution. With a human-Dalek hybrid and the backdrop of 1930s New York, these episodes offered a fresh spin on the Doctor’s oldest foes.
The Master Returns: The series reached a dramatic crescendo with the three-part finale, which saw the return of the Master, initially portrayed by Derek Jacobi before regenerating into John Simm. The Doctor, Martha, and Jack faced the Time Lord’s nemesis, as the world fell under the Master’s control. Amid the chaos, the Doctor’s wit shone through, adding levity to the high-stakes showdown.
The third series of Doctor Who in 2007 saw David Tennant’s Doctor face formidable foes and forge new friendships, all the while retaining the unique charm that made the show so endearing. It was a season that reminded us that in the Doctor’s world, even the most dire of circumstances could be met with a cheeky grin and a quip. And really, isn’t that what Doctor Who is all about?
